Order of Service – Sunday 22 September 2024 – PENTECOST 18
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CALL TO WORSHIP
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. (Psalm 95:6-7)
HYMN: 228 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
MORNING PRAYER
O Lord, Yours is the day and Yours is the night; You have perfected the light and the sun; You have made all good things of the earth, and we ask you: cause Your rich mercies to rise on our lowliness, together with the daylight. Free us from the darkness and the shadow of death and from every evil thought and device of the devil. For Yours it is to have mercy and to save us, O God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen!
(Basil of Caesarea c. 330-379)
RESPONSIVE READING
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You have revealed Your continual love to humankind through the Bible.
We thank You, Lord, for the faithful service of those followers who wrote the original manuscripts of the Bible, directed by the Holy Spirit.
We thank You Lord, for the tireless efforts of those who copied the Holy Book by hand, verse by verse and page by page.
We thank You Lord, for the tedious labour of those who translated the words into different languages.
We thank You, Lord, for the scholarly devotion of those teachers who seek to interpret the biblical truths for our use in life today.
Grant that we may hear, read and learn these truths for our spiritual edification.
Help us to commit ourselves to study Your word that we may grow in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Redirect our lives that we may find the truth You intended for us to learn.
(Together) O Lord, grant that by the inspiration of Your holy word, we may find strength for living and eternal hope for dying; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen!
PSALTER READING – Psalm 1 (In Unison) Page 532
A PRAYER OF PRAISE
Worthy of praise from every mouth, of confession from every tongue, of worship from every creature, is Your glorious name, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: who did create the world in Your grace and by Your compassion did save the world. To Your majesty, O God, ten thousand times ten thousand bow down and adore, singing and praising without ceasing and saying,
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of Your praises;
Hosanna in the highest. Nestorius (381-451)
HYMN: 675 “Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining”
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
In penitence and faith, and in a period of silence, let us confess our sins to Almighty God. Let us pray. (Silence)
We acknowledge before God the Lord the wretchedness of our world and the sins of our hearts and minds. Our times are full of evil and we are but children of our times. We have seen the light and we are still in darkness. We have seen the truth and we are half-hearted. We are disciples, but poor disciples, unable to give sight to our neighbour who is blind to where blessing lies. We confess all these things with shame and pray God forgive and redeem. Amen!
PRAYER OF FORGIVENESS
O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ’s sake. Amen! Ambrose of Milan (339-397)
HYMN: 741 “O Lord Hear My Prayer”
TIME TO PRAY
In silence please offer your prayers to the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus.
STATEMENT OF FAITH (The Image of Invisible God)
Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible.
All things were created through Him; all were created for Him. He is before all else that is, and in Him everything continues in being.
Christ is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He may be first in everything.
For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell; and Christ has reconciled to Himself all things, both on earth and in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. Amen!
HYMN: 154 “Great is Your Faithfulness”
A PRAYER BEFORE READING THE SCRIPTURES
Even as we seek understanding, our minds, too often, shelter us from the realities we might uncover. May we have the courage to hear and hold truths found within these words. Amen! (Gretta Vosper Another Breath)
BIBLE READINGS – Joan Bridger
Philippians 1:2-11 (Page 1161) Acts 2:42-47 (Page 1079)
MESSAGE “The Ingredients of a Healthy Church” Rev. Keith Garner
NOTICES – John Flynn Combined Service with LCU and the Great
Outback BBQ Sun 27 October 9:30 am at St. Columba’s.
HYMN: 569 “Guide Me O My Great Redeemer”
THE LORD’S PRAYER
HYMN: 778 “Shalom to You Now”
THE PEACE AND THE BLESSING
Father, thank You, that You have revealed Your love to us today. We ask You to send us out from here in the power of the Holy Spirit and fan into flame the gifts that You have given us and help us to share them with those who are in need. For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forever. Amen!
To contact Krikor call 9453 0787 or 0418 417 411
Church Website: http://www.longueville.unitingchurch.org.au
Church email: standrewsunite@tpg.com.au
Church Office phone: 9427 4740